Digital efforts aim to help with preservation work
Visitors to the Mogao Caves, a complex of 492 grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu province, may be able to immediately feel the prosperity of the ancient Silk Road after viewing the breathtaking Buddha images and frescoes.
The caves, which range from the fourth to the 14th century, are home to sculptures, murals and other relics placed there by Buddhist monks and pilgrims. The area was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, one of the earliest such sites in China.
Only 6,000 visitors a day are allowed to enter the Mogao Caves with guides, and the time they spend in the caves is limited to protect the treasures from the impact of temperature and humidity.
Nevertheless, a foundation has joined hands with Chinese internet giant Tencent in setting up a virtual “worshipping platform” to celebrate the caves digitally and to act as a new method to protect the site.
The platform went online last month, said Yang Xiuqing, head of the China Dunhuang Grottoes Conservation Research Foundation.
It costs just 1 yuan (15 cents) for a person to become “a digital worshipper” for the caves. Worshippers receive high-definition pictures of a cave and an explanation of related sutras.
“We have used the concept of Buddhism to arouse modern people’s new thinking,” Yang said. “It is also a good way to show to the public the achievements made by the caves’ digitization program.”
Experts have been attempting to find new ways to protect the caves for decades.
Digital recording is the best way to retain their original facades, with digitization of 180 caves now completed.
In 2016, the Dunhuang Research Academy, which administers the Mogao Caves and supports Yang’s foundation, released high-definition pictures of 30 caves online for public use. However, Yang says it needs more social support to continue its work.
“The digital worshipping platform is a way to attract young generations’ attention,” he said.
More than 60,000 people have become “worshippers”. Yang said all the income from this project will go to maintenance of the No 55 Grotto at the Mogao Caves.
This grotto was dug in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and Yang said it houses the highest level of Buddhist art from that dynasty.
“This grotto is huge (more than 500 square meters), of high value, and needs a lot of work for digital conservation,” he said. “We haven’t got a budget from the government. This new fundraising method will help us and attract more people to this heritage site.”
In December, the Dunhuang Research Academy signed an agreement with Tencent to launch a series of cooperative protection measures for the grottoes. Last month, the two sides launched a competition for musicians to create works combining pop music with ancient scores discovered in the caves.
“With the use of digital displays at Dunhuang, the cultural splendors of the site can be made available to millions more than the 1.7 million annual visitors to the site,” Wang Xudong, director of the academy, said.